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, L. CLOSE. BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER EUR THRASHING MACHINES. No. 455,657. D Patented July 7,1891.'

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A L. CLOSE. BAND GUTTER AND EEEDEE EOE TEEASEING MACHINES. No. 455,657.

Patented July 7, 1891.

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UNITED STATES f Prnrnivr OFFICE.

.LEVI oLosE, `or LEONA, KANsAs.

BAND-CUTTER AND FEEDER FOR THRAsHlNc-MACHINEs.

SPECIFICATION farming part of Letters Patent N O. 455,657, dated July `7, 1891.`

Y i Application filed May 15, 1890- S`erial No. 35119272. l(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI CLOSE, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Leona, in the county of Doniphan and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band-Cutters and Feeders for Thrashing- Machines; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toV make and use the' same, reference being had to. the accompanying drawings, and to letters of-reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to improvements in band-cutters and feeders for thrashing-machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact band-cutter and feeder in which the feed may be regulated to suit the condition of the sheaves; and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line sc .fr of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the device for operating the shaft carrying thefeed-wheels. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the weighted lever carrying the detent which operates in' connection with the ratchet-disk on the shaft upon which the feed-wheels are mounted. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one end of the pusher-bar and mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 7 is a det-ail sectional view of one of the spring-teeth located in the platform. Fig. 8 is aside view, partly in section, one of the sides being removed to better show the construction. Y

A A refer to the feed-tables upon which the sheaves are placed, andare provided at suitable intervals with projecting spring-teeth a, which pass throughopenings in said tables. The projecting ends of these teeth are iuclined, so that the sheaves will pass freely over the same, but will hold the sheaves against movement in an opposite direction. Each table is also provided between thespringteeth a with slots 0,', in which works a series ot' feed -teeth b, which are secured upon a transverse strip or board B, located l beneath the table and supported by their reduced ends or trunnions in suitable guides or grooves b. This stripor board is provided with a weighted arm B', which has atendency to throw the teeth b up to contact with the 4sheaves as it is moved forward and will cause -shafts c, provided with pulleys c', over which passesa belt for actuating the same, and to said crank-shafts are pivotally secured bars C',v carrying a series of cutters or blades D, which operate through slots in the feed-tables and are raised and lowered as the crank-shafts are turned.

To each side of the machine above the feedtables are located housings E, in which move vertically the bearing-blocks c for the transverse shafts F, upon which is mounted a series of feed-wheels E', said wheels being merely disks, the peripheries of which are serrated or provided with projecting pins. These feed-wheels'are partially covered by a casing E2. j

Between the feed-tables and below the level thereof is a suitable platform, upon which slide the lower ends of the delivery-tables G G, the opposite ends of which are connected in any suitable manner with the double- 'crank shaft H, which may be considered the main driving-shaft, and as this shaft is 11o-wv" tatedY the upper ends of the delivery-tables are alternately raised and lowered to deliver the wheat. These delivery-tables are provided on their upper surfaces with inclined teeth g, which assist in feeding the wheat to the thrashing-machine. Above these deliverytables are shields or screens I, which are supported by transverse beams W W', above which is a frame supporting at each end a crank-shaft; K, carrying a series of feed-fingers L, which are connected to the frame by bails L', passing through the upper ends thereof, so that rock-levers M M, suitably pivoted to the frame.

These levers have their' upper ends slotted, as shown at fm, and to their lower ends are connected rods N, which connect with the upper ends of the pivoted levers N the lower ends of which are slotted to receive arms forming part of the crank-shafts B2.

W'orking in the slotsm in the upper ends of the levers M are sliding blocks o, in which are journaled rods S for operating the shafts F through the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 and to be hereinafter set forth, the throw of said rods being regulated by the position of the slides in the slots m, these slides being positioned manually by rock-shafts O, connected thereto by links s.

- Each shaft F is capable of a vertical movement, as its bearing-blocks e are loosely mounted in the housings E. Rig-idly attached to ythe outer end of said shaft is a ratchet wheel or disk P, which also carries or has attached thereto a notched disk P. A loop R is loosely mounted on the shaft F, so as to lie over the notched disk P and the disk S', formed on the end of the lever S. This Aloop has pivoted near its upper end a pawl R', and beneath said pawl and to one side of the loop is attached the rod-T, which connects the loop to the slide o at the upper end of the lever M. The pivoted lever S has formed on its forward end a disk S', which is centrally provided with a slot, so that it can move freely upon the shaft F, and the lower portion thereof carries a projecting finger or detent s',which engages with the notched disk P and holds the shaft from rotation, and the pawl R', hereinbefore referred to, is notched to engage with the upper portion of the disk S', so that when the detent is in engagement with the notched disk P the pawl will be held out of engagement `with the ratchet-wheel. The rear end of the pivoted lever S is provided with a weight s4. It will be noted that the knives when operated will cut the bands of the sheaves, and while cutting the sheaves will be held stationary by the feed-wheels E', and the feed-fingers L will enter the straw before the rotation of said f/eed-wheel commences.

By the construction hereinbefore described when the lever M is oscillated or moved upon its pivot by the eccentric K and connectingrod la the loop R will be moved, and its rearward movement, relieving the disk S on the pivoted lever S from pressure, will allow the same to rise and move the pawl R out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel P, and as the loop is moved forward the pawl engaging with the disk S will depress the same and move the detent s out of engagement with the serrated disk P, and the pawl R', engaging with the ratchet-teeth, will rotate the shaft a given distance, according to the position of the slide in the slot m, the adjustment being accomplished by moving the rock-lever O.

By this construction the shaft F and feedwheels E may be rotated to give the desired feed, according to the condition of the sheaves.

, This band-cutter and feeder may be 'operated by suitable pulleys from the thrashingmachine, one of which passes over the pulley at the end of the main driving-shaft H, which is geared to the pulleys c', as shown, to operate the knives D, and the other belt may connect with the shafts carrying the feed-fingers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as-ne'w, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, the combination of the table A, having spring-projected teethd and reciprocating fingers b, *cutters or knives D, operating transversely therewith, and a series of feed-wheels mounted above said knives, and intermittingly-operating connections whereby the feed-wheels will remain stationary while the knives are in contact with the sheaf,l

substantially as set forth.

2. In a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, .the combination of the feedingplatforms, an intermittingly-rotating shaft having feed-wheels, a series of cutting-blades operating transversely beneath the same, and a series of fingers for moving the separated sheaves from the platform, substantially as set forth.

3. In a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, the combination of the feedplatforms, a series of band-cutting blades adapted to be moved through and above the platform, so as to sever the bands of the sheaves, intermittingly-rotating feed-Wheels journaled in vertically-movable bearings, and lingers for movingthe sheaves from'the platform to the delivery-table, substantially as set forth.

4t. In a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines,the combination of the platform having a series of slots, movable feed-fingers b, working therethrough, springteeth attached to saidv platform for preventing rearward movement of the sheaf, a transverse bar carrying a series of cutting-bladesgfeed-wheels E', arranged above said cutting-blades, and fingers L for separating the sheaf, together with the inclined reciprocating deli very-tables G, substantially as set forth.

5. In a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, the table or platform A, having a series of slots on a line with the movement of the sheaf, the forwardly-inclined feed-iingers l), secured to a sliding and pivoted bar, said bar being weighted, as shown, and means for actuating said bar, whereby said fingers will be elevated by contact with the sheaves in their forward movement and depressed below the surface of the table when moved in an opposite direction.

6. In combination with the feed-table A, having a series of slots, a pivoted transverse IOO IIO

bar B, having feed-fingers, said bar being supported in suitable guides beneath the feedtable and provided with a Weighted arm for normally holding the fingers raised in the slot, links for connecting said bar adjacent to its pivot to a rock-shaft, and means for operating said rock-shaft, substantially as set forth. i

7. The combination, in a band-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, of afeed-table A, reciprocating bar carrying fingers, springteeth a, rigidly secured to said table, the ends of said spring-teeth being inclined in the direction of the feed -to prevent a backward movementof the sheaf, said spring-teeth being adapted to be depressed by the weight of the sheaf in its forward movement, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination, in a baud-cutter and feeder for thrashing-machines, of the feedshaft F, having an intermittingly-rotary motion, said shaft having feed-wheels E mounted thereon and a band-cutter locatedadja- 'i cent thereto, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with the vertically-movable intermittingly-rotating shaft F, feed- Wheels mounted on said shaft and a bandcut-ter. Y

Yl0. In combination Withthe shaft having fingers L `mounted centrally thereon, a bail L', connecting the upper ends of said fingers tothe frame, an eccentric K and rod la, a pivoted lever M, operated by said rod, rods T and N, connected to the lever M, a loop carryinga pawl which engages a ratchet-disk on the' shaft F, and a lever i f for reciprocating the bar carrying the feed-fingers, substantially as set forth.

11. In combination with the feed-shaft F, a

Vpivoted lever carrying a slotted disk with a detent, said lever being weighted at one end, a ratchet-wheel and serrated disk rigidly mounted on the shaft F, a loop or bail carrying a pawl for engagement with the ratchetdisk, said pawl also being /engaged'by the plate, and a bar connecting the loop with an adjustable slide carried by the lever M, so that When said lever M is rocked the shaft will be rotated, substantially as set forth.

l2. In-combination with the feed-shaft F, provided with serrated disks, a pivoted lever weighted at one end and provided at the opposite end with a slotted disk, through which said shaft passes, said disk having a detent, a ratchet-wheel and serrated Vplate! rigidly mounted on said shaft and a loop loosely pivoted thereto, said loop carrying a pawl which isadapted to engage with the upper portion of the slotted disk when the detent is inr engagement with the serrated disk, abar connecting the loop to a rock-lever, and means for operating said lever, substantially as shown, and forthe purpose set forth.

13. The combination, in a band-cutter'and feeder for thrashing-machines, ofthe shaft K, a series of feed-fingers mounted on said shaft,

a slotted rock-lever M, connected to said shaft, I

aslide 0, adjustable in said slotted lever, a loop carrying a pawl, a rod connecting said slide and loop, a feed-shaft F, provided with feed-wheels and disks P P and S, a bar N, connected to the lower end of the rock-lever M and to the rock-lever N', andmeans for connecting the lower end of the rock-lever N to a sliding board carrying feed-teeth b, whereby the sheaf is first fed forward by the feediingers and held rigidly upon the platform by the feed-Wheels while the' band-cuttersoperate, substantially as set forth.

Iii-testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

YLEVI oLosn.

Witnesses:

VJ. S. BEELER,

T. J. ARMSTRONG. 

